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Community Solar Program
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Community Solar Program

WAYS TO REPORT A POWER OUTAGE
ONLINE   |   CALL 1-800-554-6773   |   OPPDCONNECT APP

Thank you for your interest in OPPD’s Community Solar Program!
We’re sorry, all available shares have been sold. If you wish to be added to a waiting list for when shares become available, please click the waitlist button below.


   
The community solar rate for 2024 is a $0.28 Debit (Charge) per share, per month.

Why you should join

What’s in it for you to participate in OPPD’s community solar? By subscribing to one or more shares you’ll get to share, among the other participants, in the opportunity to help produce clean energy today in support of a cleaner energy future! Other benefits include:

  1. You get affordable solar energy.
    OPPD’s community solar program is an affordable way to increase your use of renewable energy while keeping your costs low and predictable. Installation of solar panels on your home can be very costly along with the additional costs related to maintenance, inspection, fees and increases in homeowners’ insurance premiums. This program offers the opportunity for you to be energy conscious and support clean energy at a low rate.
  2. Contribute to a cleaner environment.
    Solar energy is a sustainable, renewable and clean way to generate energy. It actively contributes to the decline of greenhouse gas emissions and helps protect our environment. Participating in OPPD’s community solar program allows you to take a leadership role in support of 5 megawatts (MW) of clean energy to be generated and consumed throughout our communities.
  3. You get the first chance at potential financial savings.
    The community solar charge is based on the market value of solar energy and the cost of building and maintaining the Fort Calhoun solar farm. If the solar market value exceeds the cost of the solar farm, participants will see a credit on their bills. As a participant, you won’t see immediate savings, but enrolling in the program early secures your place for potential savings down the road.

How it works

When you enroll in OPPD’s community solar, you can subscribe to one or more shares. Each share represents 100 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity. A monthly solar charge will be a separate item on your monthly bill and calculated as shown in the graphic below. In order to secure your shares, there is a one-time refundable investment of $100 which will be added to your first bill after you subscribe to the program. Thereafter, your monthly solar charge will be a monthly contribution based on the number of shares you subscribe to support when the solar farm is generating energy.  

For example, an average home of 2,000 square feet uses approximately 1,000 kWh of electricity per month, 10 percent of the monthly consumption can be off-set by subscribing to 1 share.

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How many shares should you purchase?

How OPPD's Community Solar Rate Works. You use 1,000 kWh per month (For illustrative purposes only. Based on the average kWh usage of a 2,000 sqft home.). You choose to subscribe to 1 solar share (One share is approximately 100 kWh of solar energy.). Your standard service charge is $30.00. Your standard energy charge is $85.00 ($0.085 X 1,000 kWh). Your community solar charge would be $1.00 ($1.00 X 1 share) (Rate is for illustrative purposes only and does not reflect the current rate.). You pay just $1.00 more than a nonparticipant for renewable energy.

Who can participate?

You can contribute to OPPD’s community solar program if you are:

  1. A residential homeowner or tenant, including net metering customers
  2. Have a service address within OPPD's service territory with an account in good standing
  3. Agree to the five-year continuous contract commitment
  4. Agree to The Service Agreement of the program

What does the deposit secure?

  1. Only a limited number of customers can participate in the program. Your refundable deposit will secure your place in this group.
  2. Additionally, because this is a program that requires a substantial upfront investment from OPPD, it’s our responsibility to ensure we have a pool of participants who are committed to the program for several years.

For more answers to frequently asked questions, visit our FAQ page.

Why OPPD created Community Solar.

With our commitment to provide you with affordable, reliable and environmentally sensitive energy services, a study team was formed to research the possibility of creating a community solar program. Many options were looked at, including those suggested by our customers. Based on the findings, OPPD concluded that moving forward in support of a solar program was widely popular with both our residential and business customers. The solar farm is located east of Fort Calhoun and came online in December of 2019. The solar farm can produce 5 MW of solar energy. The generation is divided into shares and portioned out to customers who have subscribed to support clean renewable energy. By participating in the program, you’re contributing to a portion of the solar energy generated at the facility.

The first phase of available shares is fully subscribed. OPPD is considering a second phase in the future. Be sure to join our waitlist if you’re interested in participating!

Learn more about solar energy

Below are some fascinating facts about solar energy and how it could affect our community in the future.
What is Community Solar? 
Community VS. Rooftop Solar

Additional Resources and FAQs

March 2018 Board PowerPoint Presentation
February 2018 Board Video Presentation
February 2018 Board PowerPoint Presentation
December 2017 Board Presentation
FAQs

Contact

For questions contact customerservice@oppd.com.